Federal Government, Labour Meet Over Coronavirus Lockdown – SGF Boss Mustapha

The Federal Government has been in constant meeting with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over the lockdown imposed by President Muhammadu Buhari to curb the spread of coronavirus across the country.

This was made known by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, on Thursday in Abuja at the 18th joint national briefing of the committee.

KanyiDaily recalls that the NLC had written a letter to President Buhari, warning him of possible breakdown of law and order if the ongoing lockdown was extended, over the plight of the working class.

Reacting to the warning, Mustapha said the government had been progressing with the fight against the COVID-19 in the country and constantly consulting with the NLC.

He notes that the government was never threatened because he met with the NLC president in Abuja, earlier on Thursday, and that the Labour leader was rather suggesting ways forward in the national response efforts.

“There was no threat from Labour. As a matter of fact, the reason I was slightly late to this press conference was because the President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Waba was with me. He had written a letter, quite alright.

“He was also in the same manner, suggesting ways, you know they represent the working class, they also listen to what is happening, they see what is happening in different climes. Ayuba Waba is not only the President of NLC, he is also the International President of the Labour Movement.

“I believe that he is consulting all over the world, listening to his workers in different countries and also taking experiences of how other nations are dealing with the lockdown because the entire world is on a lockdown.

“Some who had the infection earlier are beginning to ease out the lockdown, as they have succeeded in flattening the curve and they begin to move into bringing their nations back into productive sessions and also getting their systems back into life.

“So, there is no threat from Labour, we are consulting with them. They have opinions that they share with us and at every step of what we have done thus far, we have kept contact with the working class, to ensure that at least, their views are adequately taken.”

Boss Mustapha also disclosed that President Buhari is yet to make a decision on the two-week national lockdown proposed by the governors of the 36 States in Nigeria, to help curb the spread of Coronavirus.